Newbies "touring" on the cheap

[Catweasel]

Heya guys, new guy here - many years ago in a country far far away I did LEJOG - back when Karrimor was good ;p

Anyhoo, I'm considering grabbing 2 pairs of the SJS panniers - for use front and rear - my question is - would they work OK on the front? Am reasonably sure they'd be OK but figured I'd ask

 

[Mark Grant]

They're OK but not waterproof. I used some on the front of my Galaxy but had larger on the rear.

 

[ThompsonCrowley]

This isn't a question as such, more a cry for help and advice.

Myself and 2 friends are inexperienced cyclists (in fact I am probably the most experienced....oh dear ) who did our DofE awards together (walking, not cycling) and we were thinking of doing another hiking/camping trip(s) as the weather turns warmer, but now the talk has turned to possibly cycling instead of walking

We are also lazy, so plan to avoid major hills (lol) and travel only short distances to allow plenty of stops and relaxation time in campsite. If this ever goes ahead, the first trip will certainly be local-ish and less than a week, probably just 3 or 4 days to see if we survive.

We already have mats, sleeping bags and one tent (need to buy another) and bikes- I believe my friends own very cheap (but not quite BSO) mountain bikes- presumably slick tyres are needed? Or maybe we could cycle on dirt paths instead of the road (might be more enjoyable)

I have never cycled more than 2.5 hours in my life and I don't think they have either. Knowledge of bike maintenance is zilch- can just about chance an inner tube on a good day (I'm planning on doing a basic course though) and we have no specific touring gear like panniers etc- ideally we'd like to spend as little money as possible on gear as this experiment might never be repeated!

1) Is even possible?
2) What's a roughly realistic distance for us to cover comfortably in a day?
3) Help me! This wasn't even my idea!

Hey man. Did you do the trip? Of course it's definitely possible! And you definitely should! I would say, if you're not experienced cyclists just start at 30/40 miles a day and build it up from there. The landscape and towns are so varied in Britain that you don't have to travel far to get a new experience. And I wouldn't worry too much about bike maintenance, it's fairly straightforward, so long as you know how to fix a puncture and have money for a train fare (incase of any serious malfunctions) you'll be fine.

I wrote a book about long-distance cycling without much experience, without much money, without many tools. There were a few hairy moments, but that's how you learn. It's called "At Home in the Bushes" http://www.lunchmusic.co.uk/Buy the Book/ should you fancy a read!

All the best mate, Thompson

 

[uphillstruggler]

If you're in need of a cheap alcohol stove, search beer can alcohol stove. You even get to drink beer before hand

 

[Salad Dodger]

I made a couple of beer can stoves, but preferred one made from a small shoe polish tin, filled with steel wool. The lid of the tin acts as a "snuffer" to put the stove out and contains any unburnt fuel. Use it in conjunction with an Esbit type oblong folding stove, as a cookpot stand.....